"I used to do it," said Grace, "by putting finely ground coffee in a strainer, and letting boiling water trickle through it, but the strainer melted off one day, through my carelessness, so now I put the coffee in a cotton bag, tie it, throw it into the pot, pour on boiling water, set it on the cooler part of the stove, and let it stand without boiling for five minutes. Then I take out the bag and its contents, to keep the coffee from getting a woody taste. My husband, who often makes the coffee in the morning, throws the ground coffee into cold water, lets it stand on the stove until it comes to a boil, and removes it at once. I'm not yet sure which way is the best." "Nor I," said Mrs. Taggess, "although I've tasted it here made in both ways, and seen it made, too." The guests were so astonished that each took a second cup--not that they really wanted it, as one explained to two others, but to see whether it really was as good as it had seemed at first. Then Grace arose, and led the way to the parlor. Some of the guests were loath to follow, among them the tormentor, who said:-- "I s'pose if I'd talked about these crockery dishes, she'd have faced me down, an' tried to make me believe they didn't cost as much as mine." "Oh, no, she wouldn't," said Mrs. Taggess, who overheard the remark; "but I think 'twas very kind of her to set out her very best china, don't you? Most people do that only for their dearest friends--never for people who forget the manners due to the woman of the house, whoever she may be." "I don't see what you mean by that, Mis' Taggess, I'm sure. I only--" "Ah, well, try not to 'only' in the parlor, for Mrs. Somerton is trying very hard to make us feel entirely at home." "Well, _I_ think she's just tryin' to show off, 'cause she's come into old Jethro's money." "Show off with what? Do tell me." "Why, with her fine furniture an' fixin's. If that best room o' hern was mine, I'd be 'feared to use it, an' I'd expect the house to be struck by lightnin' to punish me for my wicked pride." "I'm a-dyin' to ask her what some o' them things cost," said another, "but I don't quite dass to." "Then you may stop dying at once, for I'll ask her for you, although I already know, within a few cents, the price of everything in the room. Come along, now. Ahem! Mrs. Somerton, there's much curiosity among the ladies as to the cost of furnishing your beautiful parlor. Won't you tell us?" "Very gladly," Grace said, "for I'm very proud of it." "Didn't I tell you?" whispered the tormentor. "Everything in the parlor, except the piano, which is the ugliest thing in it," Grace continued, "cost less than twenty dollars." "Sho!" exclaimed one woman, incredulously. "Why, that's no more money than Squire Burress paid for the sofy that his gals is courted on, for Mis' Burress told me the price o' that sofy herself, an' showed me the bill to prove it."